Innocence
by silvermoongirl10
Summary: a one shot based on the episode Little Fish from season 1, Frank is finding it hard to deal with the Leo Gates case being listed as 'unsolved' but little 5 year old Jamie comes along and helps him to feel better.


**A/N I was re-watching the first season and when watching **_**Little Fish **_** what Henry said to Baker ("His kids were the same age at the time") sparked an idea, so enjoy **** their ages may be wrong but please bear with me as its never really explained in the series.**

* * *

It had been two cold weeks since 9 year old Leo Gates had gone missing, and there had been no trace of him. Frank was now sure Leo was dead and had never left the block but his partner had disagreed stating Leo had left the block alive. Frank wasn't sure why his partner was adamant Leo had left alive, maybe it was hoping that an innocent child hadn't been killed for no apparent reason. Frank doubted he would ever know, and he also doubted he would ever find out what happened to little Leo Gates.

Frank had hardly been home much in the past two weeks, he hadn't seen much of his children, but in a way that was better for him. Every time Frank saw a picture of Leo he was always reminded of his own children and as the murder of Leo seemed random what was stopping someone taking one of his children? Frank didn't think he would be able to cope.

Danny, the oldest of the four at 15, may have been six years older than Leo but in Frank's eyes he was still very much a child. A teenager full of angst maybe, but still a child.

Erin, again older than Leo at the age of 14, and also a teenager that could have her moments, but a child.

Joe, he was the closest to Leo in age at the age of 11. Joe had not yet become a teenager and so still played with his younger brother.

Jamie, the youngest at the age of 5, to Frank he was a little like Leo, Jamie had that big goofy smile that broke out over any little thing.

Frank walked through his front door in time for dinner. Danny and Erin knew about the case their dad had been working, Mary had explained a little to Joe, so they all gave Frank careful smiles not knowing how their dad was going to react to having his case of a missing 9 year old boy be listed as 'unsolved'. Jamie, however, who had no idea about the anguish his dad would be feeling leapt out of his chair and ran over to Frank wearing that big goofy grin again.

"Jamie!" hissed Erin; she didn't want Jamie upsetting their dad.

Frank just smiled at Erin and bent down to Jamie's level and Jamie wrapped his small arms around Frank's neck and said "it feels like I haven't seen you in _ages_ dad!"

"It sure does Jamie" Frank sighed and then placed Jamie back onto his seat and said he wasn't hungry and made his way into his office.

* * *

Once Frank had left the dining room, Danny who was sat across the table from Jamie said "nice going kid"

"What did I do?" asked a confused Jamie,

"You made dad sad so now he's gone into his office and we haven't seen much of him these past two weeks, so thanks kid I was looking forward to seeing him tonight"

"I didn't make dad sad did I?" whispered Jamie,

Before Joe could reassure Jamie that it wasn't his fault Danny said "of course you did, didn't you see his face when you ran up to him?"

Jamie's lips began to tremble, he didn't want his dad to be sad and it was his fault, what kind of a person was he?

"Daniel Reagan that's enough!" Mary said sharply, she looked over at Jamie who looked like he was about to cry, "Jamie?"

"Can I please leave the table mom?" asked Jamie, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Yes sweetheart you can" Jamie just nodded and walked out of the room.

Joe watched Jamie leave and turned on Danny "well done Danny"

"What?"

"You didn't have to make Jamie feel bad about something that wasn't even his fault!"

"Hey! I only said what we were all thinking!"

"Well you must have been the only one thinking it because I sure wasn't!"

"That's enough you two! There's already enough sadness in this house and I don't need you adding to it" Mary stated, the family then continued to eat their meal in silence.

* * *

Jamie walked past his dad's office and noticed the door was slightly ajar and poked his head around it and said "dad?"

Frank who was bent over in his chair looking at a family photo looked up and beckoned for Jamie to enter the office. That's when he noticed Jamie's eyes were red rimmed from trying not to cry.

"What's wrong Jamie?"

"Nothing"

"Jamie tell me what's wrong?" asked Frank as he picked Jamie up and hugged him tight.

"It's just…"

"Just?" prompted Frank,

"When you came home I didn't make you sad did I?"

"No of course not! What made you think that?" asked a shocked Frank,

"Danny" mumbled Jamie,

"Ah" said Frank, "well you shouldn't believe everything your brother tells you"

"So if I didn't make you sad what did?" asked Jamie looking up at Frank,

"What makes you think I'm sad?" asked Frank changing the subject, the case was not something little Jamie needed to hear.

"Well when you come home in time for dinner you _never_ skip dinner unless something is bothering you" stated Jamie,

Frank shook his head in fondness; Jamie had definitely inherited the Reagan ability to distinguish whether or not someone was telling the truth.

"Well aren't you the clever one Officer Reagan"

"It's _Detective_ Reagan actually" replied Jamie, who surprisingly for a 5 year old had mastered the tone of mock seriousness.

"Oh I'm sorry _Detective_" laughed Frank as he tickled Jamie's sides; he laughed even harder at Jamie's attempts to squirm away.

"Dad!" gasped Jamie as he tried to wriggle away, "I surrender!"

"Giving up so easily?"

"Just this once as I'm stuck!" giggled Jamie as Frank hugged Jamie closer to him. While Frank worked cases like the one of Leo Gates his children could sometimes be a painful reminder of what he could lose, but at times like these his children could also show him how to laugh again.

* * *

The man who had killed Leo Gates had now been arrested; Frank could be at peace knowing he had found justice for Leo and his mother. He now felt more sympathy towards Leo's mother more than before as this time he had lost a son since Leo's death.

Frank was sat in his office chair at home, he had heard Jamie come over and briefly talk to his dad. He heard a knock on the door and looked to see Jamie put his head around the door and Frank was reminded of a sad 5 year old boy who was worried he had made his dad sad, but that little boy was now a rookie police Officer who was too old to have a tickle match with his dad.

"Everything ok dad?"

"Now it is"

"Grandpa said you caught the guy"

"Yeah I did" sighed Frank,

Jamie looked confused for a second and then said "but even though you know why it happened it still doesn't make sense"

"Exactly"

"The world can seem like a cruel place sometimes but its times like these when we know it's not all bad"

"When did you suddenly become so wise?" smiled Frank,

"I dunno maybe between all the talks you and Grandpa gave me" smiled Jamie, glad to see his dad smiling again.

"You make it sound like you've had a lot of those talks"

"I had a few, but not as many as Danny"

Frank laughed "yes I think he holds the record in the family"

Jamie joined in the laughter and noticed a photo lying on his father's desk, "what's the photo of?"

Frank picked it up as Jamie walked over to the desk, "it's a photo of the family when we had a picnic at the park"

"I remember! I was four wasn't I?" Frank nodded; he looked at the photo again and smiled at seeing the grinning faces of his children. He felt a pang in his chest when he saw Joe's smiling face and seeing Joe holding Jamie on his shoulders. Joe had just turned 10 and the loss of Joe reminded Frank of Leo.

He sighed "I hadn't been able to fully sympathise with Leo's mother before, but now I can"

Jamie looked at Frank with sadness in his eyes knowing what his dad was thinking, he then looked at his watch and said "I gotta go, I caught the graveyard shift"

As Jamie turned to leave Frank stood up and said "Jamie" as he placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder he continued "be careful".

"Will do" smiled Jamie in reply he then picked up his bag and made his way out the house. Frank shook his head in amazement, whenever he seemed to be affected by a case Jamie always appeared, either intentional or not, but he was always there. Even both times Frank had to deal with the Leo Gates case; Jamie was there to bring a smile to his face. Even though Jamie may now be a rookie cop, to Frank he would always be that little boy with the big goofy grin who always brought a smile to people's faces whether they knew Jamie or not. And that was the beauty of innocence, yes Jamie wasn't as innocent as he had been as a child, but his smile and the look in his eyes still held that same innocence and it was that which helped Frank smile. Because he knew the world could be a dark and morbid place, but with innocence there was also a beacon of hope to help you make it to the next day.


End file.
